Description
Creamy, comforting, and full of garlic butter flavor—this Garlic Butter Chicken Rigatoni is the ultimate one-pan dinner. Seared chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and a luscious sauce come together for a meal the whole family will love.
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
12 oz rigatoni pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In a separate pot, boil salted water and cook rigatoni until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
4. In the same skillet, lower the heat and add butter and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy cream and some of the reserved pasta water. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Return chicken to the skillet and stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix until melted.
7. Add cooked rigatoni and gently toss everything to coat evenly in the sauce.
8. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan before serving.
Notes
Don’t overcook the pasta—al dente works best to hold up to the creamy sauce.
For a lighter option, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk.
Let the chicken rest after cooking before slicing to keep it juicy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: garlic butter chicken, creamy pasta, easy skillet dinner